


A Faraway Light

by rainbowRamen



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, And then this happened, Angst, F/F, Mild spoilers for Silver Snow!!, i wanted to write something fluffy, no beta we die like Glenn, way to go me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-14
Updated: 2019-11-14
Packaged: 2021-01-30 01:35:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21420022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainbowRamen/pseuds/rainbowRamen
Summary: I want you to keep on, blooming peacefully, uprightly, beautifully.An alternate ending to the Silver Snow route, wherein Edelgard is the one to kill Byleth.Byleth doesn't regret the outcome of the battle, but wishes they could've walked together.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 6
Kudos: 135





	A Faraway Light

**Author's Note:**

> Tfw I haven't even played Silver Snow but I just did this because YOLO LMAO
> 
> This is another really short piece. (I have the attention span of a gnat) How did wanting to write fluff evolve into this...? I swear I'm a natural angst magnet >_>
> 
> Uhh, anyway I hope you enjoy??

_This world that keeps on moving...it's too cruel._

Byleth's limbs feel so heavy. It seems like she'd been locked in battle against her dear former student for a long time, yet the battle had just begun. Why is it so hard to move her body? Why does it feel so much harder to fight?

Her swings are uncoordinated and unfocused, her entire body feels so sluggish. Her legs shake like the leaves of a tree threatening to blow right off their branches, and her mind is in a frenzy. The Sword of the Creator meets Aymr again and again, but no matter how loud the sounds of the weapons clashing together are, she can't focus at all. It's so unlike her.

She looks up at Edelgard, violet eyes shining with the flames of determination. The Emperor's stance is unwavering, and her gaze never leaves Byleth's. She's fully focused on the fight, and she's determined to win. Sweat gathers on her forehead, glistening in the sunlight that filters through the stained glass windows. The light shines on her bright red attire, the crown that adorns her silver-blonde hair seemingly glittering. Although she's supposed to be Byleth's opponent, the fight is the furthest thing from the professor's mind.

Edelgard is so very beautiful. Radiant, even. When Byleth looks at her, memories attack and stab her in the back. When she remembers Edelgard's smile, her stance falters. When sword clashes with axe, she feels her breath leaving her. She can't avert her eyes away from Edelgard, not ever, and she doesn't want to. Why must they fight? Can't she do anything to stop this? Can't they find a way to walk together? 

Swing meets swing, and they have started employing the use of their arms and legs. Trying to kill each other, a battle to the death. They've both taken several hits, although Byleth has sustained significantly more, and she doesn't care one bit about any of that. She just wants this to be a lie. She wants so badly to take Edelgard's hand. But at this point...can she?

Slightly wincing from the pestering stinging of the fresh cuts and small wounds on her body, she is faced with the truth. Even if she breaks free of all her memories of the times she spent with Edelgard, even if she runs from the kingdom of illusions and fairytales, where everything is happy and sparkling, she is only met with reality. The pain of her choices hurt her so much harder than any of the injuries she sustains, even as she moves left and right across the battlefield, meeting Edelgard in the center of it all, punches and kicks exchanging with each other. There is no point in escaping, for the abyss of darkness would just swallow her all over again.

_Must we live in the midst of this endless suffering, with no way out?_

At this point, Byleth is moving entirely on instinct. She knows that Edelgard's intentions are for the good of Fódlan. Her heart is truly pure and gentle, and no matter which angle Byleth looks at her from, she only sees an untouched, pure white profile view. Her chest hurts just thinking about it all, tightly holding onto those memories of the past. She'll never let them go, even if the thread of fate that connects them together snaps in half. She remembers how the trust Edelgard put in her - reliving to her a terrible past. No matter how much Byleth stumbled, Edelgard would be there to pick her right back up, still full of gentleness like always. If Edelgard can smile again like she did back then, if she can see it one more time...she wouldn't mind living on with the dirtied blood that stains her hands even now.

By the second, she's losing strength, and even the will to fight. She's never wanted this, she can't focus at all. She willingly accepts every fist that meets her body, she only parries Edelgard's axe strikes with the bare minimum. The Sword of the Creator is at its limit, too - just like her. Feeling the sword crack under her grip reminds her of herself; so strong when faced with adversity, yet too frail when the one she has to fight against is the student she loves so deeply. It only takes a few more swings of Aymr to break through the weakening sword, shattering it into pieces. Aymr tears through frighteningly easily, cleaving through Byleth's armor and into her side. A pained scream is torn from her throat, but she says nothing more. She cannot bring herself to make any further noise than that. Vision flickering, she feels herself falling to the ground, but she's never felt so satisfied seeing the ceiling high above her. She weakly looks over to Edelgard, who walks over and kneels down at Byleth's side.

"My teacher...you were not yourself when you fought me," she begins, perceptive as ever, "you know that killing me is the only way to end this war, and yet, it feels like you held back. Why...?"

Even though Byleth feels a part of her slipping away every second, she still manages to heave out an answer. "I couldn't stand the idea of killing you...I could never raise my hand against my dear Edelgard."

"Professor, I..." Strangely, tears rush into Edelgard's eyes, and she allows them to fall freely without even knowing it.

"What are you waiting for?" Byleth smiles sadly, "Strike me down. And then...I trust that you will lead Fódlan...to a better future." She has confidence in Edelgard, she knows that even if she's gone, Fódlan would be left in good hands. She only wants one thing, even now.

_If I had one wish, it would be for me to be allowed by your side once again._

How she wishes she could say those words she's always desired to. Edelgard wordlessly lifts Aymr high in the air, poised and prepared to take Byleth once and for all. Although tears lightly prick her eyes, threatening to overflow at any second, she does not drop her stance. She looks at Byleth one last time, and her teacher nods back, fully prepared for what's to happen next. "This is goodbye, Professor," A tiny drop of liquid slides down Edelgard's cheek. "I wanted to walk with you..."

So does Byleth. She does not say anything back, but as Aymr is brought down, it's at this moment she fully embraces the facts that she'd never been able to for the longest time. She truly loves Edelgard, a bold, bright crimson flower in the tides of war. If she'd walked with her, perhaps she could've seen the tiny flower happily grow.

_I want you to keep on, blooming peacefully, uprightly, beautifully...and if _ _I could rewind time, I beg of you, please bless me with your gentleness once again..._

**Author's Note:**

> Wow I really am not cut out for action scenes am I?
> 
> Oh well. Anyway, thank you for reading, despite this being super short A G A I N. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this piece. See you soon!


End file.
